When freshman year ended, I felt uneasy about what the future may hold. Lots of options and situations could determine where I will be in the future: I might have a job at ESPN after graduation, or I could go into ministry, or I could be pursuing music as a career somewhere in the world. No matter what path I go down, I am terrified for how successful I could be.
I sometimes feel stuck doubting God with the question “What now?” That same question rushed through my mind as I chose to attend UA in the fall of 2018. The stories about raging parties and alcohol running rampant across campus gave me anxiety about the risks and obstacles I'd face in college. Because I want to glorify Christ with every part of me, I knew that I needed to find a community of believers on campus who could help motivate me to strive in my relationship with Christ. I did not want to wait until after classes started, so I went to the BCM and met a host during my Bama Bound orientation weekend. Bailey Gulsby, the host, gave me a tour of the BCM building and helped me calm my anxiety.
When I was a kid, I came to know Christ and accepted him and was baptized. After this, I concluded that my work was finished, and I held this conclusion close to my heart for many years. But that was far from the truth. As a sophomore in high school, I had no motivation to go to church and my family stopped going to church services. I was stuck in the middle--a lukewarm Christian. But I later found a group of friends to pick me up and motivate me to know Christ and to go to church. If it was not for those relationships in high school, then I wouldn’t have been motivated to find a community of believers in college. Now I turn my question of “What now?” from myself towards God as a servant to Him.
For the rising freshmen struggling with the question “What now?” after losing prom and graduation, understand that God is greater than this situation. I pray that each of you are able to find a Christ-believing community at UA. I also pray that even when our world seems to fall apart, we will not be afraid, because God is our refuge and strength. Psalms 46:1-2 “God is our refuge and strength, a helper in times of trouble. Therefore, we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas...”
I can't wait to see everyone in August!
Thomas Hargadon
Sophomore
Fairhope, AL